Category Archives: Achievement/Recognition

Scroggins ES educator named national Bilingual Teacher of the Year

Maria Elena Galán teaches fractions to her third grade class at Scroggins Elementary School, January 14, 2014.

Maria Elena Galán, a third-grade teacher at HISD’s Scroggins Elementary School, has been named the 2014 Bilingual Teacher of the Year by the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE).

“This award acknowledges your work as an exceptionally skilled and dedicated teacher in a bilingual program,” read the notification letter from NABE. “Your application contained outstanding testimonials and descriptions of your professional role as a bilingual teacher.”

Galán was selected for her ability to inspire students in two languages and her dedicated service to the school and its surrounding community.

Continue reading →

HISD’s Terry Grier named finalist for AASA National Superintendent of the Year

HISD Superintendent Terry B. Grier has been selected as one of four finalists for the American Association of School Administrators’ (AASA) National Superintendent of the Year.

Under Grier’s leadership, HISD was awarded the prestigious Broad Prize for Urban Education, an award that recognizes gains in student achievement and comes with $550,000 in college scholarships for high school seniors. Houston is the only district in the country to receive the award twice, winning the inaugural Broad Prize in 2002 and again in 2013. The district was one of four national finalists in 2012.

Continue reading →

HISD Police Chief Dotson to retire in new year; Mock named as new chief

HISD Chief of Police Jimmy Dotson, left, will retire in January, and will be succeeded by now-Assistant Chief of Police Robert Mock, right.

When HISD Police Chief Jimmy Dotson broke the news of his retirement to his department a month ago, he told the officers that after five years, the time had come for him to leave the district.

“We have worked very hard as a department to get to where we are today,” said Dotson, whose last day with the district will be Jan. 31. “But it is time for me to go. Everything is about timing, and the time is just right.”

On Tuesday, Dotson, 66, was excited about the announcement of his successor – HISD Assistant Chief of Police Robert Mock, who will be sworn in as the district’s new police chief on Jan. 6 at a 2 p.m. ceremony at the High School for Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice. Continue reading →

HISD wins $30 million in federal Race to the Top funds to link students to careers, college from earliest age

The Houston Independent School District learned Tuesday that it has won nearly $30 million in federal Race to the Top funding, the only urban school system to be named a winner in this round of district competition.

The announcement was made at noon, Houston time, by Education Secretary Arne Duncan at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

“This funding is an acknowledgment of the work we’ve done, as a giant urban district, to personalize learning to each student – and a belief by the Department of Education in the work we intend to do,” said Superintendent Terry Grier.

Continue reading →

Board of Education to Consider Policy Update Banning Offensive Mascots

HISD also scheduled to honor outgoing Trustee Larry Marshall for his service

Dec. 11, 2013 — Houston Independent School District Superintendent Terry Grier on Thursday will recommend the Board of Education take the first steps in approving a policy update that would prohibit offensive or culturally insensitive mascots.

The proposed policy would affect four HISD high schools — Lamar High School Redskins, Westbury High School Rebels, Hamilton Middle School Indians and Welch Middle School Warriors. The measure must be approved on Thursday and then again in January after its second reading.

The new policy would allow schools to respectfully retire their existing mascot while also acknowledging the important role their related traditions and symbols have played in their community.

Continue reading →

Reagan’s Dixon Named Finalist for Touchdown Club Coach of the Year

Led Bulldogs to First District Title in 54 Years

In his fifth season with Reagan HS, Coach Stephen Dixon led the Bulldogs to 10 wins and their first district title in 54 years. He’s a finalist for the Touchdown Club’s Coach of the Year award for his achievements. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter/The Leader News)

Stephen Dixon, who led the Reagan Bulldogs to their first district football title in 54 years, has been named one of 10 finalists in the Touchdown Club’s Houston-area Coach of the Year race.

Dixon has coached at Reagan for four seasons, steadily building his team into a contender that won 10 games in its historic run this season and made it to the second round of the UIL Class 4A playoffs.

Continue reading →

Middle-School Orchestra Invited to Perform at Carnegie Hall Next Year

Johnston is the first from the Houston area to be so honored

Johnston MS

Johnston Middle School’s Sinfonia orchestra will be heading to Carnegie Hall next April, thanks to a stellar performance at a National Orchestra Honors competition this spring and the encouragement of an internationally acclaimed conductor.

The orchestra was named one of three national winners in the “middle school strings” category of the contest held in May of 2013 after submitting recordings of two of its performances for judging.

Continue reading →

HISD Makes Finals for Race to the Top Funding

The Houston Independent School District was named Tuesday as one of 31 finalists for $120 million in federal Race to the Top funds, from a field of more than 200 applicants.

Up to 10 winners are expected to be named by the end of 2013. Each winner could receive awards of $4 million to $30 million from the U.S. Department of Education. Because of its size and number of students it serves, HISD was eligible to apply for the maximum award. Continue reading →

Reagan High School to Host International Baccalaureate World School Induction Ceremony

School to be joined by students, parents and community members

What:             Reagan High School will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate its recent International Baccalaureate authorization with students, parents and community members.  Reagan received official authorization to operate as IB campus in July along with Hogg Middle School, creating the first continuous IB feeder pattern in the historic Heights neighborhood.  Founded in 1968, IB is a non-profit foundation that offers challenging educational programs for students aged 3 to 19 to help develop their intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

Who:               HISD Board of Education President Anna Eastman, Reagan High School Principal Connie Berger, HISD Lead Principal James McSwain, students,                         parents and community members

When:             Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013 at 6 p.m.

Where:           Reagan High School, 413 East 13th Street

Three Students’ Artwork Selected for HISD’s 2013 Holiday Greeting Card

DeBakey HS art teacher Neda Khan poses with student Tam Ngo and her winning design.

This year the Houston Independent School District honored the artistic talent of its students by selecting three finalists’ artwork for the 2013 HISD Holiday Greeting Card.  The winners were Adrian Pizarro from Park Place Elementary School, Amy Vaughan from Johnston Middle School and Tam Ngo from DeBakey High School for Health Professions.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year as we have the opportunity to recognize the amazing talent of our students,” HISD Chief of Business and Community Relations Dr. Michele Pola said.  “We are very grateful for all the art teachers who support their students in their creativity.”

Continue reading →